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• Harmonizing Education: Why Music Must Echo in Every Student’s Life Pathways School Gurgaon
  
  June 1

What if I told you “You can ace your next exam by listening to Harry Styles or The Beatles”? Would you believe me? As a fellow music enthusiast, allow me to take you through the enchanting wonders of the musical world. Today, I'll be discussing why music should be an indispensable part of every student's life. I believe that school students should listen to music while studying, as it is scientifically proven to help your brain absorb new information, enhance memory, improve motivation, and create a positive impact on both the mind and the body.

Research supports the notion that when you listen to music, your brain acts akin to a sponge, swiftly absorbing new information. Music has been identified as a potential method for enhancing focus, thereby facilitating your brain's ability to interpret information more effectively. In 2017, The University of Toronto conducted an experiment and asked a sample of students to study and revise their concepts while listening to music. They found that those few students were much clearer with concepts and had a much easier time focusing in classes compared to their peers, who weren't using the same strategy. Henceforth, I believe that listening to music while studying helps focus, and that it has helped and will help a lot of students who are seeking to improve the quality of their learning.

In continuation, listening to music while studying not only improves your memory but also boosts your motivation. In all likelihood, musical melodies help with memorisation by creating a positive attitude among its auditory audience, which indirectly boosts memory formation within the brain. Personally, I used to be exceptionally terrible at Spanish Language Arts; due to my goldfish-like memory, I was always struggling with conjugations and verbs. However, after a close consultation with my peer, I started listening to music while I revised concepts, and found that I was driven forward to learn. Self-studying became an entertaining and harmonious process as I was always looking forward to incorporating music into my study routine. This new method not only improved my memory retention but also made learning Spanish more enjoyable and less daunting.

In recent research, scientists have uncovered a significant factor affecting student performance during exams: uncontrollable nerves. According to their findings, a staggering 76% of students experience anxiety-related difficulties that impact their exam performance. This insight sheds light on the challenge many students face in managing stress during critical academic assessments. Coincidentally, listening to music is a tranquilizing activity that settles the mind, relaxes the nerves, and consequently loosens the muscles, making it the perfect pastime to pursue when your exam is right around the corner.

Since listening to music activates the chemical in your brain deemed dopamine, it positively impacts the mind and body. In a study conducted in 2009, researchers played different styles of music while asking their examinees to identify whether the tunes correlated with happy or sad emojis. As you may be able to guess, they found that upbeat songs sang the best tunes and elicited the most positive responses from participants, in contrast to the dreary and probing responses they received while experimenting with slow, disheartening music. The study concluded that music has the power to influence emotions and overall well-being. This further supports the idea that music can have a significant impact on our mental state.

In conclusion, I encourage all present students to incorporate their favorite music into their study routine, whether it's tackling algebraic equations or delving into the intricacies of animal cell structures. Music has been proven to enhance memory, improve focus, and positively impact mental and physical well-being. Numerous studies support its ability to boost cognitive performance, leading to greater academic success. So, the next time you hit the books, don't forget to press play on your preferred tunes, be it Arijit Singh or Taylor Swift. Let the music you love serve as your study companion, making your learning journey more enjoyable and your study sessions more productive.

I would like to leave you today with the words of the world-famous American trumpeter and vocalist, Louis Armstrong: “Music is a way of life, a way of thinking, a way of being.”

By: Tiana Malhotra, MYP 2A